Snow Responsible For Several Deadly North Carolina Accidents

Attorney Matthew R. Arnold answering the question: “If I am injured in a car accident or at work what should I do?”

North Carolina Highway Patrol says that a young woman in Aberdeen died after an accident that officials say was likely caused by slick and snowy roads. The fatal wreck happened in Moore County earlier this week on Sand Pit Road.

Emergency responders say that the 23-year-old woman, Breanna Tile, was a passenger in the car driven by 24-year-old Viacente Gonzalez. According to the police report, the vehicle driven by Gonzalez drifted off the snow-covered road and slammed into a pine tree. Tile died at the scene of the accident while Gonzalez was taken to a regional hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Though police investigators say that the snow likely played a role in the accident, there’s a chance that the driver will face criminal charges. In another similar accident, police say that the driver of a 1996 Ford will face misdemeanor charges after a Chatham County accident left a passenger dead. Police say that the driver is facing charges related to exceeding a safe speed.

That accident took place a little after 1 p.m. on Silk Road Wednesday afternoon. Miguel Caseres was driving the Ford down a snowy road when it crossed over the centerline and collided head-on with a 1999 Chevrolet. A passenger in the Chevy was killed in the accident, though the passenger’s name has not yet been released.

Finally, Lumberton was the scene of another weather-related crash. Police say that a driver hit an icy spot of road on I-74 in Robeson County when his car slid into the back of a parked Highway Patrol vehicle that had stopped to write a ticket to another driver. The driver of that car was cited with excessive speeding and not having a valid driver’s license.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, about 24 percent (or 1.5 million) of all car accidents are weather-related. When you consider the dangers posed by snow, sleet and black ice, it’s easy to understand why the winter months are some of the most dangerous for drivers.

The reason that ice and snow can be so dangerous is that they prevent your tires from getting a good grip on the road. This lack of traction makes steering and coming to a stop difficult if not impossible. Ice is dangerous but black ice is often even deadlier because drivers don’t know what to expect. Black ice often forms at night or early in the morning and lacks the shiny finish that ice normally has, something that leads many to mistake it for a simple wet road. When temperatures dip following rain or snow it’s crucial that drivers keep and eye out for black ice to avoid being involved in a dangerous accident.

If you, or someone you know, have any questions regarding personal injury claims, please feel free to contact the experienced personal injury attorneys and lawyers in Charlotte, North Carolina at Arnold & Smith, PLLC for a free consultation. Call at 704-370-2828 or click here for additional resources.

About the Author:

Matthew Arnold is a Managing Member with Arnold & Smith, PLLC where he focuses his practice on Personal Injury, Family Law and Business Litigation. Mr. Arnold began his career handling insurance defense litigation for several major insurance companies. He also went on to handle business litigation cases and high value mortgage fraud cases, primarily in Superior Court.

Mr. Arnold grew up in Charlotte, graduating from Providence Senior High School and continued his education at Belmont Abbey College on a basketball scholarship. After graduating cum laude he attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a full academic scholarship. In his spare time, Mr. Arnold enjoys golfing and spending time on the North Carolina Coast with his wife and three young children: two daughters and one son.